The Human
by universallyfictional23
Summary: An OFC journey through Undertale. If you've played the game, you may know the storyline, but that doesn't mean that you know this one. ;) I intend to have a lot of fun with this! Sans/OFC, Papyrus/OFC, Aaron/OFC, Napstablook/OFC, Mettaton EX/OFC
1. Chapter 1

_"No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here."_

 _Her arms were growing numb from the cold around her. She clutched her hands around herself, but it did little good. She was entirely underdressed for this kind of weather in her short sleeved, short skirted dress._

It didn't make much sense to her, however. How could it be snowing? Wasn't she underground?

Her blue eyes flicked up to the sky... or rather, merely above her, as she shouldn't be able to see open sky. It was difficult to tell what she was looking at. She expected to see stone, or some sort of ceiling, devoid of light. What she saw was very reminiscent of a white winter sky, only there were obviously no clouds, just a flat white expanse, from which snow was somehow falling and light radiated evenly all around. Perhaps she was under a sheet of ice?

The girl shook her head, unable to make sense of it.

Toriel had mentioned something about monsters and magic. Perhaps it had to do with magic?

 _Toriel..._

At the thought of the kind goat-monster, her mind fell silent.

 _"My expectations... My loneliness... my fear... For you, my child, I will put them all aside."_

The young woman felt as though she had repaid the she-goat rather poorly for all the kindness she had been shown. After all, Toriel had rescued her, protected her, taught her how to interact with the monsters of the Underground, had fed her, and given her sanctuary. Then she had begged her not to leave, had even fought with her in an attempt to deter her from her course. But the girl _had_ been so... blastedly determined.

 _"If you wish to leave the ruins... I will not stop you. However, when you leave... Please, do not come back. I hope you understand."_

 _"Goodbye, my child."_

The feeling of Toriel's soft furry arms around her had comforted her, filled her with even more determination. But that feeling was now long gone. Ever since the heavy, physically immovable stone door had closed behind her and had found herself isolated in an illogical iceland, she had felt her strength begin to ebb away.

The burning coldness of the snow stung her legs as it melted on her skin. Her shoes were caked with snow and her toes were painfully numb. As far as she could see, there were no buildings and no monsters. She was truly alone now.

Tripping over a large branch that lay half buried in the white powder at her feet, she pitched forward into the snow. A cascade of frigid shivers wracked her body. She was chilled to the core.

She saw now, she probably should've just stayed with Toriel. Maybe she could-

No.

 _"Please, do not come back."_

She could not go back, Toriel had specifically asked her not to. She was alone.

Tears began to swell in her eyes and run down her cheeks, stinging in the wind. Her resolve was wavering. Wrapping her arms tighter around herself, she knelt in the snow.

Shutting her eyes, she refused to see her impossible surroundings for a few moments. She didn't want to think about where she was going to go, or why it was snowing, or why there were trees underground, or what would happen to her, or what Toriel was doing at the moment. She didn't want to think at all.

But she was forced to a moment later when she heard the sound of crunching footsteps behind her. There was someone, or something, approaching her. She became paralyzed, knowing that she was in no condition to defend herself if need be. She could only pray that the one who approached meant her no harm. Too afraid to turn and look at whoever it was, she kept her eyes dead ahead and only closed them when the footsteps stopped _inches_ behind her.

"Human." Came a deep, but soft voice. "Don't you know how to greet a new pal?" There was a brief pause. "Why don't you turn around and shake my hand?"

The intent behind the voice was hard to interpret. It was difficult to decipher whether they were playing with her before striking her down, or being teasingly friendly. Hesitantly, she twisted around and raised her eyes to the figure standing behind her. She couldn't contain the gasp the flew from her lips.

He was a... sk-sk-skeleton!

She had not been expecting that. From what she had seen and from what Toriel had said, the young woman had expected the monsters of the Underground to be talking animals or creatures whose forms were entirely new to her. But a skeleton?! It seemed a little too... stereotypical.

Also, it was simply alarming to come face to face with a living, talking skeleton when one isn't expecting to. She stared long and wide-eyed at his cavernous face and... well, _skeletal_ body. Also, much to her surprise, he was wearing a blue parka, black sport shorts, and house slippers.

As seemingly impossible as it was, he was also staring straight at her from his sockets, floating white pupils tracking her every movement. Despite the fact that she knew he could have no eyeballs or pupils, he was undeniably staring at her. She also didn't understand just how he could seem to change facial expressions, but it he was doing that as well.

 _Magic_ , she lazily accepted after several moments of pondering.

Her shock at his appearance, however, was replaced by her concern for her safety once more when he extended a bony hand out towards her.

Oh, right. He had told her to shake his hand.

Could this positively strange stranger be trusted? Was he going to hurt or help her? And if she _did_ shake his hand, would all of his phalanges remain connected? She didn't see any ligaments.

Tentatively, trustingly, she reached out and grasped his hard, slender digits, only to be surprised by a lengthy and rude sound.

Plblblbblbllblblblblblblblb...

The unexpected sound of flatulence met her ears, her confused and wary mind was thrown into utter incredulity.

"Heheheh..." The skeleton's laugh sounded immature and childish, though somehow goodnatured. He placed his other hand over his face as he continued to chuckle. "The old whoopie cushion in the hand trick... it's _always_ funny!"

His laughter continued for a time until he realized that the girl was simply sitting in the snow, staring at him dazedly, her hand still in his.

"Anyway you're a human right?" He asked, grinning down at her widely.

Unsure of whether her voice would respond properly, she simply nodded, still completely confused.

"That's hilarious," he sighed. He pulled her gently to her feet."I'm Sans, Sans the skeleton. What's your name, kid?"

"A-Arianna."

She still wasn't sure if she trusted him yet, but she was beginning to get a bit more comfortable in his presence. At the very least, she didn't think he meant her any real harm. His tone, demeanor, and way of speaking seemed very casual and laid-back, almost lazy. It was very curious to her.

"Nice," he complimented offhandedly. "Y'know, this is pretty unexpected. I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. And I _actually_ find one!" Again, he chuckled. "Papyrus would flip his lid if he knew!"

She tilted her head of long brown hair at him quizzically at the odd name.

"Oh, my brother, Papyrus, he's a human-hunting fanatic," he explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "He thinks that catching one will be a one way ticket into the Royal Guard."

The discomfort was returning again. How was she supposed to react to this information? Staying silent, she darted her eyes away from the skeletal figure in front of her.

As a brief silence ensued, a violent shiver wracked her body and she was reminded of her frigid limbs. The skirt of her dress had been soaked when she fell into the snow and now clung to her legs. The wind seemed to ignore the little clothing she had on.

"Hey, you alright, kid?" Sans inquired. "Why're you shaking?"

"I-I'm c-c-cold," she stated, clutching her arms.

"Aw, jeez," he mumbled, scratching his skull. "You should've told me sooner, instead of letting me gab on an on." After a slight moment's pause, he began to strip himself of his blue parka, leaving him in a grey shirt and his black shorts. He held it out to her. "Here, kid. Put this on before you turn into a human-sicle ."

"What about you? Won't you be cold?" She asked, surprised at his sudden kindness.

He chuckled.

"Heheh, kid, I'm a skeleton. I don't even have skin! Don'tcha _snow_ I don't get cold?"

He chuckled at his pun, but wasn't able to elicit a laugh from the girl.

Arianna pulled on the parka and pulled the hood up over her head. As it's donor didn't give off any body heat, it didn't offer her warmth immediately, though it did shield her from the wind. The blue sleeves almost came down to cover her hands and the soft fringe of fur around the hood brushed her cheeks comfortingly. She offered Sans a grateful smile. At this, he seemed to grow a bit bashful and she almost thought that she saw his cheekbones tinge blue, like a blush. But she knew that that was impossible.

"You feel better now, kid?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you," she answered, beginning to soak up the warmth that it offered.

"Hey, you have a place to stay?"

She shook her head in response and looked away awkwardly. Was this skeleton trying to offer her a place to stay?

"C'mon," he said, turning and trudging through the snow. "Follow me. You can stay with me and my brother for the time being."

Arianna stood stock still.

"With you and your brother?" She asked skeptically. "The one who likes to hunt humans?"

"Ah, heheh," Sans scratched his cranium and gave a nervous laugh. "Don't you worry about him. He's a big pushover. Seeing you might _rattle_ his _bones_ a little," he turned and winked, "but I think it'll do him some good."

She still wasn't sure. Could she trust her safety to a couple of strangers? What if she was walking into a trap? Sans _seemed_ harmless enough, but what about his brother?

"So? You comin' or not?" Sans looked over his shoulder at her and gave a wide grin. "I understand you havin' _cold feet_ and all, but you can trust me, Ari. Besides, you'll freeze to death if you stay out here, even in my jacket."

She knew he was right; staying out in this weather could be deadly. And she _was_ wearing his coat. After a moment of biting her lip, she nestled her chin down into the fur lining of the parka, shoved her hands into her pockets, and marched through the snow after the skeleton. With a gentle smile, he waited for her, then walked beside her.

"Hey," Sans began, getting her attention. "What kind of a dog does a magician have?"

Confused, she glanced over at him.

"What?"

"What kind of dog does a magician have?"

"Er... I don't know."

"A labracadabrador," he told her with a grin.

She stared at him for a moment, before giving a snort or laughter. Sans seemed satisfied with his accomplishment.

"That was terrible," she told him good-naturedly.

"Aw man," he sighed, then grinned again. "I really wanted it _tibia_ a good joke," he said motioning to the lower half of his leg for effect.

This time, his pun brought a genuine smile to her lips and she chuckled. After this, a more comfortable silence ensued and Arianna felt more at ease. Maybe she could trust this skeleton after all. She really wanted to.

His kindness filled her with...

Determination.


	2. Chapter 2

They were an odd pair as they walked through the snow-the human girl and the skeleton. Though their walking speed was leisurely, the pace-combined with Sans' parka-was enough to warm Arianna's shivering body.

She followed the stocky skeleton through the snow, to the other side of the forest, until they came upon the cozy town of Snowdin. The girl was surprised to find a perfectly normal town with houses and stores under ground. The streets were empty and the atmosphere peaceful as they strolled down main street. After a while of unobtrusive silence, Sans spoke.

"So, Ari, tell me a bit about yourself," he suggested.

The low, casual tones of his voice were comforting somehow. It was as if they were old friends and he was merely chatting with her, catching up on the years he had missed.

"Er... Well, I'm sixteen... a human," she began rather lamely.

"Really? I would never have thunk it," he chortled sarcastically in response. "I meant, like, tell me about stuff you like to do. Do you have any hobbies?"

"Oh, well, I like to read," she continued after a moment of consideration. "And dance... and I know some self-defense."

"Oh," he acknowledged.

There was a brief moment of silence before Sans began to chuckle softly to himself.

"What?" The girl demanded. " _You_ asked."

"Oh, it's not that, kid," he answered, having to stop dead in the snow for a moment while he laughed. "It's just... ' _Uh, I'm a human_...'. It was funny!"

An embarrassed blush spread on her cheeks, but she felt a tiny smile forming on her lips despite it.

"I know, I know. It was dumb, but you know what? I'm not used to all this. It's still pretty strange."

"All what?" He inquired resuming their pace again.

"Everything!" She answered. "Being in an underground winter wonderland, being the only human around for miles, walking side by side a skeleton... it's just a little confusing."

He nodded. Then his grin grew a bit wider.

"I guess it's a good thing you have me a round to make things a little more... humerus."

She rolled her eyes and chuckled, half impressed.

"How many of those do you have?" She asked.

"Oh, I've got a skele- _ton_ of 'em," he snickered, obviously enjoying the chance to use so many puns.

Giving a groan, she sighed petulantly.

"Sorry I asked."

As they strolled through the wee town, the human girl took everything in. Her blue eyes passed over the cozily situated buildings, the warmly glowing windows, and the serene atmosphere. But something yellow and briefly panic-inducing caught her eye: a flower. Nearly stopping in her tracks to stare at it, she quickly realized that there were several similar plants nearby and that they were all partially wilted from the harsh weather.

None of them were him.

Flowey.

The memory of him had never entirely faded. Though it had only been a few days since her arrival in his strange land as well as her first encounter with the deadly and sinister plant, so much had taken place and had thoroughly distracted her from any thought of him.

Then there had been that second encounter, after she had left Toriel's company. The yellow specimen of flora had promised his rise to power and had threatened her personally, informing her that she wouldn't make it in the underground.

 _"You idiot... in this world, it's kill or be killed."_

A non-weather related chill ran down her spine. Her wandering thoughts were interrupted by Sans' voice once again.

"Well, kid. Here we are!" He stated, coming to a halt before a large, two-story house. "Home sweet home."

The young woman blinked up at the snow-dusted house and the welcoming Christmas lights spiraling around one of the porch posts and lining the gutter along the front of the house. It was charming.

"It's lovely, Sans," Arianna complimented. "It looks like a real home."

As if slightly uncomfortable, the skeleton cleared his throat and looked as though he wished he had some pockets to stuff his phalanges into.

"It's alright," he shrugged, yanking open the front door. "Come on in. Just keep in mind, it _is_ a bachelor pad, 'kay kid?"

Glancing over at the two mailboxes beside the door as she entered the house, she wondered at one of them, completely over-flowing with envelopes. The young woman whistled.

"Someone either has a lot of fans, or a lot of enemies," she mused.

Sans chuckled and closed the door behind her.

"Yeah, life as a celebrity is rough," he nodded humorously. "All those salesmen, promotors, and magazines trying to get your attention..."

This time, Arianna openly laughed with him. Stepping into the living room of the skeleton's abode, the girl sighed happily at the house's warmth. The interior was-just as everything else had been thus far-surprisingly ordinary. There was a television against one wall, a couch opposite it, even a kitchenette. It was so ordinary and almost familiar that it comforted Arianna in this strange new world.

She gave a drowsy yawn. The newfound comfort and warmth of the house after wandering around in shin-high snow and ice was causing her to realize just how much energy she had expelled over the past few hours. Sans noticed.

"Hey, Ari, you look pretty tired," he noted.

"I'm fine," she assured him, giving another yawn. "I've just had a full day."

"Well, why don't you lay down?" He suggested. "I'll try to go find my brother, so he can meet you."

"Are you..." Another yawn. "Sure?"

"Positive," he nodded, giving her an encouraging shove. "You look _bone_ tired."

"Wow, they just keep on coming, don't they?"

"Can't help it, kiddo," he grinned. Another pun was encroaching, Arianna could feel it. "It's in my bones..."

"Ah! That's two bone jokes in a row, Sans! Strike out!" She laughed.

"Alright, alright! I'm going now," he told her, approaching the door.

"Wait, here's your coat!" She stripped herself of it and handed it to him.

"Thanks, kid," he grinned at her. "I'll be back soon. Rest up. You're gonna need it for when you meet Papyrus."

"Maybe just for a little bit," she conceded, a bit hesitantly.

Without so much as another pun, Sans left her in the strange empty house. Awkwardly, Arianna strolled over to the couch and tentatively sat down upon it. A slight jangling sound occurred and she winced, hoping that she wouldn't damage it with her weight. Once settling onto it, she found it to be extremely comfortable, and so she flopped backwards and stretched her aching limbs.

She frowned. Was she truly safe here? She pondered as she stared at the high ceiling far above. In all this land of uncertainty she had plunged her into, the only thing she was truly concerned for was her safety.

While she was yet to meet Papyrus, Sans seemed fairly benign and had thus far been quite kind to her.

She passed a weary hand over her eyes and turned onto one side. This whole ordeal had been so very consuming and she just wanted to rest.

Closing her eyes and curling into a fetal position, she sighed.

 _Just for a few moments... that's all... just a moment..._

"Oh, Sans!" Came a loud wavering voice, muffled through the front door. "I'm home!" The front door opened and a tall armor wearing skeleton ankled into the house. He then mumbled in a quieter voice, "Though, I'll bet you're at Grillby's and not even here at a-"

The cheerful skeleton froze in his steps however upon turning towards the living room.

 _Did his eyes deceive him, or was there someone laying on the couch that wasn't Sans?_

Cautious and careful, he tiptoed over the soft carpet and approached the couch, then stared, slack-jawed, at what was on it.

It was a girl, a pretty one, with long bronze locks and smooth, pale skin. From her slow steady breaths, he guessed that she was peacefully asleep. Unknowingly, he crouched down and continued to stare. Though he had no idea who this person was, he wasn't concerned. In fact, he was happy. Whoever this was, they had obviously needed to rest and he was glad that they were doing so at the moment.

The couch gave a low groan as he accidentally braced his kneecap against it and he froze in hope that it had not disturbed her. Alas, it had been enough to wake her.

The girl shifted and slowly opened her eyes, only for her to be shocked by the sight of skeletal features not a foot from her face. She responded naturally, the way any normal human would have: she screamed.

"Nyah! Oof!" Cried the skeleton as he too exclaimed at her reaction, then toppled backwards onto the floor.

Arianna bolted upright and scooted backwards along the couch, away from the creature who had startled her. In her panicked scramble, she unthinkingly pitched a pillow at the poor skeleton. The soft object made contact with his skull and he fell back again. Her heartbeat came hard and her breaths were heavy as she stared at the figure.

There were a few moments of cautious silence between the two strangers as they stared at each other, the skeleton's eyes peeking out from over the pillow that had been hurled at him.

"Ehm diffend meef du sderfdle du," he mumbled at last, his words completely muffled by the pillow.

"What?" Arianna inquired, calming her racing heart.

The pillow was lowered from his face and he gazed at her with an apologetic glint in his eye-sockets.

"I didn't mean to startle you," he told her meekly. The girl blinked at his words, there was something so... sweet about him. "You were sleeping so peacefully too, I'm sorry I woke you." Rising to his feet, he set the pillow on the couch and gazed down at the girl gently. "And I'm terribly sorry to tell you this, but... I think must've been so tired, that you came into the wrong house. You see, I live here, and I've never seen you before." He explained comprehensively, waiting for her to react in silence.

"Uh... I... Um..." Arianna gaped at the skeleton wordlessly for a moment. Suddenly, she pieced it all together. "Are you... Papyrus?"

His eyes lit up with glee.

"Nyeh heh heh!~" He exclaimed with excitement, grandly planting his arms akimbo. "I see my reputation proceeds me! Yes, young girl, I am the Great Papyrus, protector of Snowdin, soon-to-be general of the royal guard, and spaghetti chef extraordinaire!"

A small, charmed smile arose on the girl's face. This was the skeleton she had been worried about?

"Pleased to meet you, Papyrus," she greeted. "My name is Arianna."

"Ah! Charmed I'm sure!" He exchanged, gathering her soft hand in his mitten-covered phalanges and bringing his grinning teeth to meet it, akin to a gentlemanly kiss-only he had no lips.

The action was a bit awkward, given his lack of lips, but was endearing nonetheless. The girl laughed lightly at his debonaire actions.

Still holding her hand in his red mittens, Papyrus looked down at her with gentle concern and spoke again.

"Where do you live?" He asked politely. "I know you're very tired and we wouldn't want you wandering in to some other less-friendly monster's house on your way home, would we? Of course, I'm not booting you out! You're welcome to stay here and rest for as long as you like!"

"That's very kind of you, Papyrus," she told him. "But I didn't wander in here by accident. Your brother, Sans, invited me here."

The tall skeleton stared at her in blank silence for a half-second as this information registered.

"My brother... has a... lady-friend?" He inquired quietly. "WOWIE!" He exploded. "What wonderful news! This is the first time that he has invited a lady to our house!"

"N...n... w-w-wait, Papyrus!" The skeleton's words caused her to stutter in shock. "Your brother and I are not a couple! I only met him for the first time today."

"Predestined love at first sight?" He exclaimed, placing his hands on his cheekbones, his eye-sockets practically glowing. "Oh! How extraordinary! I mean, normally, I would say 'that's a bit quick, don't you think?' but, since my brother normally doesn't do anything quickly, he _must_ know what he's doing!"

"No! That's not how it is!" Arianna told him firmly, causing Papyrus to cease in his celebrating and turn to her. "I'm a stranger here. I needed a place to stay and Sans volunteered to let me stay here. That's all."

"Oh, I see," Papyrus acknowledged. Then his skeletal grin grew sly and teasing. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if romance _did_ blossom between the two of you!" He winked. "After all, my older brother is _also_ very great!"

She blinked up at him in surprise.

"Older? You're younger than Sans?"

"Yes sirree! Though I understand your confusion... Many of my feats over shadow my dear brother's."

"I thought you said he was _also very great..._ "

"Oh, he is! He is also very lazy, however, and doesn't often use his greatness."

"Oh, I see," she lied, befuddled.

"Anyway, I am presented with a singular problem..." Papyrus murmured. "Sans is out of the house and I must entertain our guest. Hmm..." He pondered for a few moments, pacing theatrically as he did so. Apparently, something brilliant occurred to him because he let out a indicatory "Nyeh!" and turned to face her with a glowing expression. "I know! Are you hungry, Arianna?"

"Actually, I _am_ a bit hungry..."

"Nyeh heh heh heh~!" He cackled triumphantly. "Well then! I shall entertain you with my great pasta-cooking skills!" He proffered his mitten to her. "Please, take my hand and allow me to escort you to the dining area!"


	3. Chapter 3

"So you're just visiting Snowdin?" Her cheerful host inquired.

"Yep, though I'm not sure for how long," she answered truthfully, flicking the spaghetti noodles in front of her experimentally. They looked alright.

"Oh, how exciting!" He responded softly. "Perhaps I could give you a tour of town? After all, I've lived here all my life!"

Giving him a gentle smile, she found that she simply couldn't refuse him.

"I'd like that very much, Papyrus," she told him.

Leaning on his elbow, the skeleton gazed at his young female guest rather dreamily for a moment. There was a lengthy lull in the conversation that Papyrus had initiated and the girl took the opportunity to spiral some of her meal around the tines of her fork.

"You're very pretty."

Arianna's head bounced up and her azure eyes locked onto the sweet skeleton, sparkling in surprise. Immediately, Papyrus fumbled with his words and darted his eyes away. It was obvious that he hadn't meant to comment on her appearance out loud.

"Oh," she gave a sweet, flattered giggle. "That's very nice of you to say. I happen to think you're very dashing yourself," she returned.

"Gee... Wowie, a genuine compliment..." The skeleton mumbled with a slight dusting of orange on his cheekbones. "Th-Thank you."

She smiled and popped the spaghetti into her mouth, then her expression curdled and it took everything in her not to open her mouth and let the noodles fall out and back onto her plate. So salty! The noodles weren't even cooked all the way, so they were still a little crunchy, and the tomato sauce was just that: tomato sauce. There was nothing added to the sauce, no garlic, no pepper or basil, no oregano... nothing.

But Papyrus was watching her reaction intently and she couldn't bring herself to insult his cooking.

"Wow, Papyrus," she began with some difficulty. "This is... Erm..." To her embarrassment, she had to pause to choke the rest of her bite down then cough afterwards. "Do you make spaghetti often?"

"Indeed! Nearly every night!"

Arianna whimpered internally.

"Oh? Impressive..." She stated, considering his and especially Sans' fortitude. "What else can you make?"

"Oh, nothing else yet," Papyrus admitted, his shoulders drooping slightly. "I'm still taking cooking lessons from Undyne."

"Oh, did they teach you to make spaghetti?"

"Yes! She taught me to make it the way she likes best!"

Suddenly, she felt a bit relieved for the skeleton's sake and less inclined to blame him for his poor taste in food, literally. Perking up and pushing her plate to the side, she suddenly became inquisitive.

"Hey, Papyrus?" She began, leaning forward.

"Nyeh?"

"This may seem like a strange question, but... Can you actually taste food?"

For an instant, he seemed to take this question the wrong way. He looked confused and downcast.

"Wh-What do you mean?" He asked softly. "My... Spaghetti..."

"No, no! It's just... Well..."

She was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"I'm back," Sans called out. "I couldn't find... Uh..." The shorter skeleton was peering into the dining room at the two individuals already sitting down with a surprised expression on his face. "I see you two have already met."

Papyrus instantly brightened up.

"Brother!" The taller skeleton called out gleefully from the table. "Come sit with us! This is Arianna!"

"I... Er... I know, bro," Sans told him. "I met her first." He turned to the girl. "You rest up okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Though I did get a bit of a shock when I woke up to a strange skeleton standing over me," she stated teasingly.

"Aw, geez, Paps. There's no stranger stranger than you."

Papyrus blushed again.

"I apologized," he murmured.

"Oh, I was just teasing, Papyrus! You were very polite. Er... Besides, Sans, your brother was nice enough to make dinner for me and everything!" She offered motioning to her plate of the unfortunate spaghetti.

"Mmm," Sans hummed, eying the food with grim recognition. Then his skull split into a grin. "You know, all that running around looking for you made me really hungry, Paps." Pulling the girl's plate over to him, he began rummaging around inside his coat. "But you know what I think would make this spaghetti even _better_?"

" _Sans_..." Papyrus had a warning tone in his voice.

"Just a little... Lot..."

"Sans, no..."

"Of this!" He pulled a red bottle from inside his blue jacket and began smothering the spaghetti with the red substance. "There!" He took a bite. "Much better."

" _Sans_! You never learn! I've told you I don't like you smothering my artful culinary creations with that red ooze!"

"Don't worry, Paps. I'm sure I'll _ketchup_ someday," he quipped with a wink in Arianna's direction.

Papyrus looked nonplussed.

"Oh! Papyrus, you never answered my question," Arianna reminded him.

"Hm? What question?"

"Whether or not skeletons can taste anything."

"Well, of course we can!" The aspiring-chef skeleton burst out, still looking quite miffed. "That's why Sans' insistent drowning of my meals in ketchup is so insulting!"

"Oh, um... Then... How?"

Both brothers looked at her intently.

"Whatd'ya mean how?" Sans questioned.

"Well, you're skeletons, made of bone," she stated, hoping she wasn't being insensitive. "We humans use our taste buds to taste, so how-"

"WE HUMANS?!" Papyrus suddenly shouted, leaping to his feet. "YOU'RE A HUMAN?!"

 _Oops._

There was silence as Arianna dumbly raised her fingers to her lips and glanced between Sans sitting next to her with a grin and Papyrus' trembling form above her.

"Yes?" She gave a painful smile. "Is... That okay?"

"I SHALL..." Papyrus exclaimed loudly, trailed off, then looked into Arianna's eyes before growing quiet. "...be in my room."

Without another word, he slumped his way out of the room and up the stairs. As his door closed up on the second floor, Arianna glanced over at Sans.

"Is he okay?"

"He has some thinking to do, which is hard for Pap," he told her lightly, still eating. "You've confused him is all. I told you about his human hunting aspirations?" He received a nod from her. "You've just shattered all his preconceptions of what a human would be like. Also, he's probably just a little embarrassed that he talked with you for more than an hour without realizing what you were. He just needs to let everything process. I'm sure he'll _human_ age." His pun-induced smirk gave away to a look of disgust as he pushed the plate of spaghetti away. "Ugh, waste of good ketchup."

She let out small chuckle.

"How _did_ that taste with all that ketchup?" Before he could answer, she exclaimed, "Hey! How _do_ you taste? Neither of you answered me! This needs to be resolved."

"Easy, Ari," the ketchup addict placated. "Though we are skeletons, we _do_ have tongues."

"Huh?" She squinted at him.

Pointing to his mouth, he revealed a glowing blue, slightly transparent tongue. The girl was shocked.

"What?" Her eyes were wide. "How?"

Sans chuckled, closing his mouth.

"You'd be surprised at just what we skeletons can do," he informed her, suddenly turning deadly serious. "Just as a warning, there's a lot more to me than meets the eye. So just pray that you won't ever have to fight me. If you start to get er... Bored around here, just leave. Don't go starting up trouble, okay?"

"Hey, hey! This is me you're talking to remember? I know I'm a stranger here, but I'm not about to start anything!" She promised, as she stood, beginning to feel a bit nervous. Sans had never struck her as the sort that would issue such a random threat.

"I wish I could believe that, kid," he sighed, getting to his feet and taking his plate over into the kitchen. "I really do."

Arianna stood there in silence, unsure how to read this new side of Sans. Before, he had put her at ease with his humor and approachable nature, but now it seemed as though she were getting a glimpse of a much darker side of him. She felt unwelcome and very lonely all of a sudden. She was here with them now, the two skeleton brothers, but she was... Different than them. She saw that now and it was evident that the two of them were _very_ aware of it.

"Well," Sans said turning back to her, his old casual tone back once more. "I'm gonna hit the hay. You okay on the couch?"

"Hmm? Oh... Yeah. That's fine," she mumbled, rubbing her arm awkwardly.

"I'll go grab you a few blankets."

As he turned to walk away, Arianna found the courage to speak up and call out after him.

"H-Hey, Sans?"

"Huh?" He turned back to her.

"Do you _really_ want me here?" She asked worriedly. "You can say no if that's how you really feel. I don't want you let me stay if you don't trust me."

"No, I'd prefer you stayed here," he told her. His tone of voice was neutral, but there was something in his eyes that told her he had his own reasons for her being where he could see her.

"Oh, well," she continued. "Have I done anything to upset you? Have I done something wrong?"

There was a somewhat lengthy pause and Sans heaved a sigh.

"No, Ari," he told her. "You haven't. You haven't done a thing wrong."

 _Not yet_.

"O-Okay."

"I'll go get your blankets."


End file.
